Last year was the first time I made any solid effort towards preserving in-season foods. My husband came into our relationship with a deep freezer, which I used to throw in the misc. bags of veggies I’d buy at the store. Now, however, that freezer has a whole new meaning for me! It is full of homemade stock, venison, grassfed beef, and until we ran out sometime early this spring; produce from the summer before.

Freezing produce is SO easy, a perfect stepping stone for those just starting to consider preserving food. Not to mention the fact that frozen foods are typically far more nutritious than their canned counter-parts. Here’s how it’s done.

How-to Freeze Produce

1. Wash all your produce

2. Some produce will need to be blanched in boiling water to preserve freshness and prevent spoilage. Here is a fantastic chart for reference..

3. Cover cookie sheets with a single layer of produce and set in your freezer. This will help them to not stick together once you put them in their containers.

4. Once the produce is frozen, transfer into containers, label with the date, and stick them back in your freezer. You can place frozen food in any freezer-burn-proof container. Last year I used plastic freezer bags, but this year as I try to avoid plastic in any way possible, I use glass jars. They are great for stacking and you can see what’s inside! Just be careful when you take them out as they can be brittle.

One way I have embraced the whole food lifestyle is to buy in season foods in bulk and preserve them for the rest of the year.

Fruit Leather

In a food processor pulse fruit until smooth, add water to make it pourable. Add honey or organic sugar to sweeten if necessary. Pour liquid onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Let it sit in the sun, covered with a screen or cheesecloth to keep the bugs off. You can also dry them in the oven at 120-150 degrees, but be sure to open the door frequently to provide air circulation. It will take several hours, probably 2-3 days in the sun to finish. They are done when they have the texture of fruit strips.

Dried Berries

Rinse berries pick them over. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and cover with 1 layer of berries. Let it sit in the sun for several hours, or likewise in the oven at 120-150 degrees, opening the door frequently for air circulation. They are finished when you cannot squish any liquid out of them.